Flexible container



Jan. 15, 1957 MQBERGER 2,777,639

FLEXIBLE CONTAINER Filed NOV. 5, 1953 IN V EN TOR. Arvld F Moberger BY W ATTORNEY TEE}?iiiiiii.

7 United States PatentO FLEXIBLE, CONTAINER Arvid F. Moberger, Melrose, Mass.

ApplicationNovemher 5,1953, Serial No. 390,291

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-45)- This invention relates to flexible containers which. are to be frequently opened and closed. In particular it relates to,flexible:containers .used for shipment and shelf storage of small,..dense objects, suchas bolts, nuts, screws and the like. 7

Recent trade practice has shown: great economy and convenience in the packaging of articles of manufacture in'non-returnable, disposable containers. The savings in both packaging cost and shippingweight have encouraged wide use of. such disposable containers. The great 'bulk of such containers as are now available are made of cardboard andsimilar resilient material. Where the articles to be packaged are to be removed from the container at the desination, the packaging problem is relatively simple since all that is required is a secure seal which is broken by the consumer. However, there are many articles of merchandise in which it is very desirable, because of the diversity, to keep stored in the manufacturers package so that small numbers of such articles can be removed therefrom as desired. One example of such use is the shipment and storage of screws, nuts, bolts and other small parts where there are many varieties of sizes and shapes that must be kept on hand by the user. Packages available for such purpose include cartons with either hinged or removable covers wherein customarily no closure means is provided other than the friction arising from tight fits.

One method previously described of packing dense and heavy objects such as fasteners, machine bolts and the like, is to use a sturdy flexible container having what is commonly known as a full telescopic cover, a cover which slides snugly over the body of the container but extends substantially to the bottom of the body. The alleged purpose of such full telescopic containers is to prevent accidental spilling and opening. However, such full telescopic containers require a good deal of excess material in the cover, can not be safely lifted by the cover and are difficult to remove from a packing case when tightly packed. Other closures that have been described comprise either complex and expensive additional tongue members or slot interlockings that are difficult to manipulate. The applicant knows of no closure which is at once simple to make and operate and yet provides a safe secure closure. In the ordinary course of handling of previously described boxes purporting to have special closures a high percentage will accidentally open and spill their contents. Further, all of these containers must be handled from the bottom in order to avoid both the ripping or accidental opening that would be caused by holding by their covers.

The present invention provides a novel, separable disposable container which is simple to make and close and which when closed provides a safe, secure closure which can be handled either by the cover or the body without the possibility of accidental opening and spilling.

This invention is best understood by reference to drawings wherein Figure 1 illustrates a dissembled form of a container made in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 indicates the assembled and locked container Ice 2. wherelhe cover has beendisplaced as far. as couldbe ever done. away from the body of the container.

Figure 3 illustratesthe assembled container where the cover and body are pushed as close to one-another as possible.

Figure 4 is the-cross section along 44 of Figure- 3; and

Figure 5 is a cross section along 55 'ofFigure 2.

Referring now to the drawings a. container ld'isprovided made of cardboard or other sturdy resili'ehtmaterial. In Figure l the container 10.is shownin its two separable parts, the cover 11 and the body'12. The cover v.

is shaped so that it will slide snugly over the bodyas illustrated in Figures 2 and.3. On'two opposite walls 10f .the cover portion arcuate tabs 13 and.v 13A are formed by stamping out a portion ofthe wall so as toleave open sections 14 and 14A. (Cf.. Figures 1, 4, 5.)

The body 12 has an arcuate slit 15.in.one wall. which is cooperably aligned with tab 13 and has a pressor portion 16 aligned with the cut-out 14. Likewise it has. on

the opposite wall a slit 15A and pressor-portion. 16A cooperable with ,tab. 13A'and cut-out 14A.

Whenthe cover 11 isplacedover the body 12 and pushed away down as illustrated in. Figure 3, it will slide freely. If, however, one presses the tabs Y13 and 13A through theslots 15.and 15A, it will be found thata secure closure has been formed which will not be .dislodged no matter how the cover 11 is veered or slid in relation to the body 12. In Figure 2, for example, the cover is in a position that might occur when a heavy weight is in the body so that the cover has slipped as far away from the body as it can. It will be noted by refererence to Figure 5 that such action actually makes it impossible for the cover and body to be separated unless there is abnormally severe distortion of the walls. Like.- wise as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, no matter how far down the cover is slid, one can not dislodge the tabs 13'and 13A.

It is thus apparent that by means of this invention a. container is provided which has a safe and certain lock ing means. In order to unlock the closures it is neces-' sary that direct pressure be placed on the pressor portions 16 and 16A when the box is in position as illustrated in Figure 3. Thus, pressure on portion 16 allows the tab 13 to slip out and the cover to be removed.

In contrast to the full telescopic container, the present invention requires only a normal amount of cover material, can be safely lifted or handled by its cover, and is more easily removed from a tightly packed case because of the inner air spaces formed by the cutting covers. This invention, therefore, effectively performs the function of the full telescopic container with improvements both in economy, operability and safety.

In manufacturing a container in accordance with this invention, no special machinery other than a customary folding box machine is needed. Dies are customarily used in manufacture of paper boxes. It is necessary only to add the appropriate die cuts for the cover in order to provide containers made in accordance with this invention. The manufacturing process would thus consist of providing flat stock with or Without desired printing thereon, dieing out the covers and bodies, stripping or cleaning out the excess material and then folding and gin ing. It is readly seen, therefore, that this is a simple and cheaper method of preparing containers with safe closures than has heretofore been presented.

The materials for such disposable containers can be selected from a wide variety of commercial materials. The only two general requirements are that:

The material be sturdy enough for the anticipated contents of the container; and

be manipulated as indicated above.

' board paper, chip, and outerovat kraft.

' Because of the wide availability and economy of paper and paper products, paper or cardboard will be preferred for many uses. A typical cardboard suitable for use with this invention would be a laminate of an inner gray- However, other kinds of cardboard can be used as Well as thin metal,

thin plastic and rubberylike materials.

Although the embodiment illustrated indicates rectangular walls with arcuate slits and tabs, it is not necessary that they bein this particular form. The containers may be cylindrical. The tabs can be in any regular form, such as rectangular or square or ellipsoid or triangular and the like. However, it is often simpler in making dies to make curves rather than sharp angles.

Further, although the embodiment illustrated deals with 'detachable covers having oppositely spaced closure means,

it is possible to practice this invention with a hinged cover having only one closure means.

I claim: 1

l. A container made of resilient material comprising,

in detachable and cooperable combination, a body and a cover; said cover fitting over and enclosing the rim of said body; the Walls of said body being provided with interior arcuate slits extending vertically upwards and pressor portions; the wall of said cover having cut out :portions forming exterior arcuate tabs extending vertically upwards and open sections positioned above said tabs; the vertical height of said tab being greater than the vertical height of said slit; said pressor portions being contiguous to and extending over said cut-out portions cally upwards and open sections positioned above said tabs; the vertical height of said tab. being greater than the vertical height of said slit; said pressor portions being contiguous to and extending over said cut-out portions and positioned above said slits, the cooperation of said tabs, slits and pressor points providing releasable closures; said closures being locked by insertion of said exterior tabs through said interior slits and released by application of lateral external digital pressure through said out out portions upon said pressor portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES-PATENTS 117,349 Tuttle July 25, 1871 1,818,266 Miner Aug. 11, 1931 2,003,224 Schoettle May 28, 1935 2,346,685 Hothersall Apr. 18, 1944 2,515,327 Bergstein July 18, 1950 2,640,589 Foster June 2, 1953 2,643,047

OReilly June 23, 1953 

